User blog:EtherealNyx/HISTORY OF ARCADIA- PART 1
AN: Hi, everybody! It's Nyx with another blog post. This one is focused on my version of the Ever After High world, which I have dubbed as Arcadia. Recently, I've had the desire to tell you guys some more information about Arcadia. So, I wasted my entire Friday afternoon and night to bring you guys this essay: THE HISTORY OF ARCADIA- PART 1: FOOLS TOWN. Enjoy! P.S. There's some information on Quinn as well, so read on! ;3 ---- THE HISTORY OF ARCADIA: PART 1- FOOLS TOWN Centuries before the world we now know as Arcadia was fully established, before the cultures of this world were defined, before the history of ancient civilizations was lost to the ruthless eons of time, there was one nation. It stretched from the pitiless regions of the North to the sunny lands of the South. This was not just any nation: it was an empire, the empire of the ancient Arcadians. For centuries, they had ruled the world in peace. All beings lived together in harmony, relying on each other for resources. All the villages of this land were equally prosperous. The empire functioned perfectly and no one feared the end of this ideal regime. Why would they? Arcadia was fully under the royal family’s control and they ruled with compassion and fairness in all matters. No one expected that because of the actions of one rogue soldier, the Golden Era would soon come to an end. The name of the rogue soldier and most of the details concerning him has been lost to history. The only information readily available is the following. The soldier had become disenchanted with the royal family of Arcadia and their laws, which he saw as ridiculous and restricting. It is well known that the soldier was a mage who was known as a very greedy and lazy soul. The constant training when there were no wars and the lack of pay left him feeling quite disgruntled. So, he sought out another solution… He was determined to strike out on his own and establish his own little kingdom. Now, despite the restrictions on magic, the soldier used spells secretly, ones that allowed him to sustain himself on nothing at all. He had observed that fellow potential dissenters quickly became docile just from one little taste of the food that the official royal chefs prepared for them every day. Did that mean the meals were being drugged? The mere thought of it disgusted him. It also served as the final push he needed to defect from the Arcadian Empire. Evidence suggests he performed several rituals during the time of preparation to ensure that his escape would be easy. It is presumed that his escape went off without a hitch. The few surviving documents that came from this time period indicate the usage of a teleportation spell or teleportation technology to assist with this. Having relocated himself to a remote stretch of the empire, he soon unofficially founded “The Republic of Pleasure”, unaware that soon it would become the Paradisiac Empire. He built a simplistic hut to live in temporarily for around four months, the rest of the Arcadian Empire blissfully unaware of his defection. The royal family had already covered their tracks on that front, but was still wary that the soldier could possibly still be out there, making a name for himself. For the first time, the king and queen of Arcadia felt that their regime was being threatened and worried about the possibility of secret defectors. Unbeknownst to them, their daughter, the sovereign princess was not concerned at all for the future of their empire. Rather, she was most intrigued. Intrigued enough to use her fledging powers and transport herself and her most loyal servants to the soldier’s side. By the time the king and queen learned of this insurrection, the princess and her servants were fully prepared for the war that the Arcadian Empire waged against their tiny little nation. Spoiler alert: The Paradisiac Empire won. It took decades of fighting, of loss and of suffering, but eventually the dawn rose on a new land. The Arcadian Empire had fallen and in its place was a new Arcadia, one ruled by a new empire. Unfortunately, it was not made to last. New lands were established and because of the king’s wish for peace, their lands shrunk and shrunk until the Great Fae War occurred between the struggling United Fairy Kingdom and the eternally prosperous Paradisiac Empire, which didn’t resemble an empire any longer. This fierce battle resulted in the United Fairy Kingdom claiming most of the remaining land from the Paradisiac Empire, leaving behind enough area for the region to only be considered as a town. Dismayed by her husband’s incompetence, before the queen acted drastically, she issued an official (and permanent) decree that the kingdom would be renamed Fools Town and that all citizens would live in debauchery and hedonism, despite having a wonderful economy. Then, she kissed her daughter goodnight and slew her husband in his sleep, killing herself shortly afterwards. The rule passed to Queen Marion, a little girl at the age of 8 who was uncommonly wise for her age. She was known as the Puppet Queen for her flawless talents at manipulation and subterfuge. She managed to survive no less than 13 assassinations during the first 20 years of her reign. She was also renowned for her valiant attempts to provide some order to her small kingdom, loosely regulating the chaos that had ensued from her mother’s decree. She passed away in her sleep at the ripe old age of 80, having made a solid difference with her power. However, the one colossal oversight she made was posthumously. She made a proclamation that a village boy she enjoyed talking to would become the new king. Big mistake. While the boy wasn’t smart enough to change the laws Queen Marion had already set before her, his behavior certainly didn’t set the proper example for his citizens. Rather, the sole thing King Jake was known for was holding the first Revel, which is now a staple of Fools Town culture. For several years after his death at age 50, the rulers of Fools Town were not very remarkable. However, some notable ones did make a difference in the history of Fools Town. One queen, Queen Alito, was known as the Lady of the Trees for her tireless efforts with managing the country’s economy. Not only did she hire dragons to guard the vast resources of their nation, but she also managed the growth of money trees, the trees that grew coins instead of leaves and fruit, ones enchanted by the deceased king of the Paradisiac Empire. He had used his magic to grow trees that produced money because of his greedy desire for wealth. Another ruler, Queen Freya, wasn’t nearly as beloved by the general population. She was known as the Sanguine Battle Mistress for a reason. The only living heir of the Arbor Dynasty, she was also extremely bloodthirsty, forcing her people into battles they simply could not win. To this day, the population of Fools Town is very low compared to other regions of Arcadia. She was killed in battle, her ‘troops’ promptly fleeing the scene. Freya’s body was never recovered. Eventually, the chain of command fell to King Manuel and his alluring wife, Queen Philomena. Their reign was long and prosperous. During this idyllic time, Queen Philomena established a museum celebrating the rich history of Fools Town with extravagant displays that caught the attention of them all, even the laziest of the citizens. Despite the crime that occurred frequently, no one was truly unhappy with their lives. The economy was booming. Education was focused on so that children could do something with their lives, but no one complained since the lessons were all designed to be fun. The king and queen started trading successfully with other countries, diplomatic relations improving far beyond what anyone ever expected. King Manuel and Queen Philomena were such hospitable folk that Fools Town was graced with many influential fairy tale figures over the years. But, once again, a happy period in Fool Town was never meant to be. And, the trouble started with the birth of Princess Elle. The discovery of the queen’s pregnancy was a joyous occasion for the small nation, a holiday promptly organized on the spot. People made bets on the baby’s gender, ones that the royal family humored gladly. Sadly, the pregnancy was a very difficult one. The sickly queen was bedridden, but still detested the notion of being weak in that state. She expected to fully recover in a few weeks, but the numerous physicians monitoring her privately disagreed. They all knew that the baby within her was slowly killing her and the mere thought of their beloved queen perishing made them sick, but they all knew what would come to pass. Little Elle survived without a hitch. The same could not be said for Philomena. Despite the fact that Manuel desperately wanted to hate his daughter for killing his wife, the instant he laid his eyes on her, he fell in love with the cute babe that he cradled in her arms. Her doe-like green eyes and brown hair that reminded him of his dead wife only solidified this paternal love for the new princess. He made a vow to raise her, as Philomena would have wanted, as a girl free to make her own choices. Elle grew up to be an extremely free spirited princess, one with a more than healthy amount of independence. She loved freedom, but the most prominent aspect of her personality was that she loved restricting the freedom of everyone else. Despite her reputation for being a very lovely woman, her personality scared away all but the most foolhardy suitors. However, her ridiculous and impossible terms to initiate a courtship, which ranged from taming a unicorn to stealing money from the dragons that guarded the excess of Fools Towns' money, were so risky that everyone decided that there were women just as lovely that were far more pliable. At least, that was the general consensus. Only the most foolish of men would even dare to consider going inside the enchanted castle and actually stay there for three nights. Unfortunately for Fools Town, Elle and the sanity of King Manuel, there was a fool brave enough to stay for three nights in the enchanted castle. There was a fool who wanted to marry the world’s most stubborn (at least by their standards) princess. There was a fool who would end up becoming a father to a cowardly maiden destined to become a brave heroine. And, that fool was Quigley Schauer. After his trials and tribulations, Quigley did not get to marry Elle right away. The courtship was still ahead of them and Elle was determined to ignore him. She didn’t care that he respected her need for independence and her love of control. She didn’t care for his simple acts of affection. Elle wanted him out of her life forever. Quigley was determined to stay in it, however. He arranged bouquets for gifts, he suffered her criticism sans complaints and he tried to be the man she would want to be with forever. Eventually, she found that he had grown on her. She noticed how sweet he was to random strangers, how he was actually pretty handsome with his unruly blonde locks and green eyes that matched her own, how he enjoyed life and its simple pleasures with ease. Elle found that she was falling in love with him and she also realized that she was no longer repulsed by the notion of marriage. So, when he proposed during a picnic under the stars, Elle readily agreed. It was as easy as breathing. Their marriage was no picnic, however. The marriage itself was perfection, though the exact details were never recorded. Fools Town threw a two-week Revel just for the occasion alone, rejoicing in the appointment of a new king. They hoped he would be as wise as King Manuel.Unfortunately, their hopes were immediately crushed. It soon became clear to everyone that Quigley Schauer was not only the worst possible choice for a king, but wasn't nearly as nice as he had seemed during the courtship period. Somehow with his limited brain cells, he had managed to trick the feisty princess into marriage. Naturally, Elle was furious. Quigley tried to exercise his power over her, but that was already a lost cause. Elle was way too independent to relinquish her freedom to a man that only saw her as a prize, something that had been confided to numerous people by her husband before. From the moment Elle discovered the deception onward, she made valiant attempts to stay away from him. Despite his efforts to keep her in the castle, he didn't have the advantage of knowing all the secret passages in the castle. No matter the amount of people guarding her, she always managed to stay one step ahead. During this time, in a fit of childish rage at a decision Quigley had decided to make sans her approval, she dumped a bucket of icy water, full with tiny fishes from their pond. Thus, she completed her story, but it didn't help the tension between them. However, there was yet another complication that was thrown into the mix. Sometime during the honeymoon, Quinn Perona Schauer was conceived. The pregnancy itself wasn’t notable, Elle remaining in almost perfect health during the ordeal. After Quinn's birth, the problems really got started. See, Elle and Quigley loathed the child for entirely different reasons. Elle hated the fact that she had given birth to a Schauer. Quigley thought that the babe would receive more affection from Elle, arousing his jealousy. Since the parents both agreed to try and figure out their marriage without their child (though, trade was also on their mind), they had to put her somewhere safe for a few years. So, Quinn was entrusted to two loyal maids that raised Quinn until she was 6 years old. The first maid, Lena, was a youthful, childish character. Laughter was a favorite pastime of hers to partake in and she loved the idea of having a child to spoil rotten. The other maid, Rosalind, was a serious woman, but still cared immensely for the little girl, despite her stuttering problems. Together, the maids taught her all they knew. They taught her how to read, play the violin and paint. They taught her German and English, basic manners and encouraged her love of different activities. By the time she was 6, she was already a gentle soul who much preferred reading about danger than partaking in it. On her 7th birthday, her parents came to collect her; tired of the failed political negotiations they had tried to do over the years. Quigley’s incompetence combined with Elle’s bluntness was a dangerous combination, even if Fools Town didn’t have any issues to worry about. Elle was concerned about the future of the kingdom since trade was failing. Quigley was concerned about if Quinn would be ready to fulfill her destiny. Quinn was worried about leaving behind the two maids she viewed as her friends, confidants and mothers. She would never see them again. At first, they gave Quinn some breathing room, letting her have some time to practice her art and music. Despite the fact that it was obvious she enjoyed such activities better than rougher ones, Quigley still insisted that she needed to start learning about fulfilling her destiny. He arranged that by having his most trusted servant take Quinn to the enchanted castle to merely observe it. No one realized that the servant, in a fit of petulant loathing would dare to leave the child inside for three days and night. The sounds of that poor child screaming were suddenly music to his ears. Not only did Quinn somehow survive the ordeal, she was forever damaged by it, suddenly extremely paranoid and even more withdrawn than before. Quigley ignored this, not only removing the servant permanently, but realizing that it was a blessing in disguise. She already knew the horrors of the enchanted castle and had survived them! Forcing her into a brutal training regime that would last until she started high school, he taught her to use the two knifes that she had been mysteriously granted inside of the castle. If she knew what had happened in there, Quinn certainly wasn’t telling a soul, though psychologists believed that she had suppressed memories, something Elle wasn’t pleased to discover. What had happened to her daughter? She needed a strong female on the throne, not a quivering ball of cowardly goop! Elle educated Quinn in what she deemed to be “princess talents” like sewing, cooking, etiquette, a healthy sprinkling of politics and other lessons that Quinn would apparently need when she became queen of Fools Town. Her father taught Quinn how to defend herself by pitting her against adults twice her size. She learned self-defense the brutal way, but quickly learned how to fight, even though she hated every second of it. Quinn was a gentle soul. She liked photography, nature and the violin. Quinn didn’t like pricking her fingers with needles, brawling on cobblestone, learning how to make deals with trolls and how to leave bruises that lasted longer. In the time that she stole for herself, Quinn educated herself on more intellectual topics, despite the protests that she wouldn’t need to know this stuff. By herself, her skills improved, but her social awkwardness continued to grow as well. She figured that everyone would take advantage of her like her parents, no matter what her books said about friendship. Her upbringing led her to be incredibly withdrawn and resistant to physical contact, seeing as how most people she came into contact with were there to assault her per the king’s orders. While she remembered the kindness the two maids had shown her, Quinn was still paranoid around most people. She also didn’t enjoy the chore of educating people about Fools Town, seeing as how it was associated with stupidity and her fairy tale, something she didn’t feel worthy of because of the pressure to get it right. And, so, that was how Quinn grew up, learning that even the people you’re meant to be able to trust could be very cruel. But, that was her life and Quinn Schauer was determined to try and forge her own path, even if she felt like she wouldn’t be able to. She had to, not for anyone’s sake but her own. SIDE NOTE: Fairy tales that originate from Fools Town are often associated with absurdity and foolish folk. While Pinocchio is definitely one of the most popular (many characters from that tale still reside in Fools Town), other tales like Oh, If I Could But Shiver!, The Three Sillies, The Three Army Surgeons and The Owl also came from this region. The last tale was known for upsetting Queen Elle the most, even more than her own story. The fact that the villagers were so willing to burn down a storage area for a stupid owl incensed her. Not only did she free the owl (it had been trapped in the barn and had been hooting for assistance), but she also forbid the burning of anything from that point forward. ---- AN: Could be better, could be worse, but what I care about is your opinion! Any comments, constructive criticism and questions are appreciated. Thanks~ Oh, and by the way, the next one will be out eventually, so stay tuned! Category:Blog posts